After The Explosion
by Chocolate Eyes Black Soul
Summary: Following the events of Red vs Blue episode 100, Church is really bummed out since Tex was destroyed and didn’t come back. But is she really, actually, dead? It’s a lot better than it sounds.
1. Foraging Can Be Hard To Do

Following the events of Red vs Blue episode 100, Church is really bummed out since Tex was destroyed and didn't come back. But is she really, actually, dead? It's a lot better than it sounds.

_After The Explosion_

_Foraging Can Be Hard To Do_

Private Leonard Church trudged through the undergrowth, unsure if he really actually wanted to find anything.

It was a traumatic experience. Tex, the girl he pretended to hate but loved deep down, had sacrificed everything to destroy O'Malley, her psychotic AI bent on destroying the world and enslaving an entire species.

He remembered her, exactly as she had been before Donut had tossed that grenade and killed her. Long, flowing red hair with those deep green-in-the-spring-and-black-every-other-season eyes, her thin, tanned face and long legs and arms with the birthmark in the exact shape of Texas on her shoulder, right at the base of her neck. He remembered tracing it with his finger; or more often than not, his tongue, while lovingly caressing her curvy torso.

Unknowingly, he had forgotten what he was trying to do. He'd been trying to find surviving bits of the ship Tex had been on when Andy detonated.

Growling, he remembered how he'd asked Sarge to disable the ship and how Sarge had deliberately gotten Andy to explode and destroy the ship.

Tucker was mourning over the loss of Junior, his gross alien love child.

Caboose was mourning over the loss of Sheila, the AI who had been in their tank but had been transferred to the ship and had also been blown up in the explosion.

But no one cared about Tex.

Sure, Sarge was a little upset that she wouldn't be coming over to the Red Team, but no one was truly losing sleep over her.

No one but a certain cobalt Spartan by the name of Church, that is.

Sure, they'd had their fights but that didn't mean he didn't care about her. After all, she'd been his girlfriend. Those days back at the Spartan Research Facility on Reach had been great. Sneaking into the Test Subjects Quarters and going on panty raids (Conveniently, they had always been in Tex's and California's quarters) had been great, though a little scary when Tex had walked in only wearing a towel after a hard day of training. The cobalt soldier always smiled when he remembered Tex, so flustered she nearly dropped the towel, had stood so stunned he'd been able to steal a quick kiss and whisper, "Nice panties, cutie." Then sprint from the room as fast as he could.

Suddenly, he was snapped out of his adulterated thoughts of the gorgeous freelancer when he tripped over something metal.

"Ouch, Church. That was not nice. It is impolite to kick someone." It was Sheila. Or, some of her anyway. A chip lay on the ground labeled with 1's and 0's. Goddamn it. Tex had known how to decipher it but she'd never told him how. He picked it up and shoved it none-too-gently into the waterproof pocket in the back of his armor.

"Sorry, Shelia. Did somehow Tex escape the explosion?"

"No, there was only one escape pod. Tex shoved Junior into it and launched it, but she stayed on the ship. Oh, and before we blew up, Tex said, 'Bye.' She sounded like she was going to miss you. You as in plural." His heart sank. Tex had saved Junior but hadn't saved herself. He had once thought Tex was selfish and inconsiderate. Now, he saw her in a whole new light. He saw a noble, altruistic girl who had the courage and the heart to save the grotesque infant from certain destruction.

"But, I did see some of her body and armor land in that clearing over there, if that helps."

"Thanks, Sheila." Crashing through the bracken towards aforementioned clearing, he thought to himself, _"What are you doing this for? Tex is just some bitch. Why should you care?"_

"_Because you love her, that's why. Even Gamma could see that."_ A happy voice cooed in his ears.

"_Fuck that, you don't love her. She cheated on you." _An angry, jealous voice growled in response.

"_So? You weren't that interesting of a guy. Just a Blue private. Maybe if you'd been a captain or a sergeant she would have liked you more and been loyal." _Now, that was insulting but he knew it was true. He figured that was the side that only told the bitter truth. And the other two had been Anger or maybe the guy who denied that he loved her, and the side that longed for settling down with a girl, preferably Tex. Goddamn, he hated asking himself questions. He was always the only one who answered him.

The thought of Gamma brought back memories of talking to Gary about his friends, enemies and comrades in the Gulch.

"_Hey, Gary. How's that time machine comin'?"_

"_All right. Tell me, Church. What was it like in Blood Gulch? Tell me about the people."_

"_Heh, not much to tell but fine. I guess I'll start with the other Blues. Well, there's Tucker. He's a moron, less than Caboose but still a moron. He thinks girls like him a lot and are attracted to him. I hate him and I hope he dies. And I get to watch."_

"_Ah, I see. A womanizer."_

"_Yeah, then there's Caboose. He's the one who killed me and he's so fucking stupid. I hate him and I hope he dies, I'll be laughing when he does."_

"_Okay…"_

"_And then… there's Tex. She's a huge bitch, but she's pretty take charge and knows a lot of stuff. Also, she was pretty hot and I dated her. Not a very loyal girl, but she had my back if I ever needed her to watch it for me. She's a freelancer and maybe the most deadly soldier in the canyon, except Sheila, our tank, may hold that title. But I think Tex'll eventually snatch it from Sheila, seeing as she can take out whole squads of soldiers and do it silently if she wants. She had this crazy, psychotic, evil AI in her head that made her into a super soldier. When he was in control, she had no fuckin' mercy. She did spare me when she killed my entire squad back at Sidewinder though, so maybe she was learning to control him."_

"_Plus, you're…"_

"_What? I'm what?"_

"_You know…"_

"_No I don't know. What the fuck am I?"_

"_Secretly in love with her. It's obvious, I mean out of the three you mentioned, she was the only one you didn't say 'I hate her and I hope she dies' for. And you talked about her the most."_

"_No way! I am not in love with Tex!"_

"_You're denial only makes me think more that you love her."_

"_Oh fuck you, Gary."_

"_Love: An intense feeling of deep affection, or a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone. Hence, you love Tex. Simple as that."_

"_You're crazy if you think I love that bitch."_

"_No, you're crazy. Crazy for Tex. Ha ha ha."_

"_Oh, just keep working on that time machine and quit trying to figure me out. I DON'T LOVE TEX! IN FACT, I HATE HER SO MUCH, I'M GOING TO SPIT ON AND DANCE ON HER GRAVE!"_

"_Whatever you say, Church."_

"_Fine, I'm glad we got that straightened out. Now, about the Reds. There's Sarge, he's their leader, which is good, 'cuz he's not that good of a leader. There's Donut, he's pretty harmless, unless you piss him off. He killed Tex that way. And Grif, he's really lazy so I wouldn't be scared of him but maybe he'll surprise one day. And last is Simmons, he's a freakin' know-it-all and annoying and whiney _(A/N: I have no idea how to spell that. He just whines a lot, okay?)_. Oh, and he's a kiss-ass. He kisses up to Sarge all the time, man."_

"_Ah, sounds like a very eventful canyon you have out there, Church."_

"_Define "eventful". It gets pretty slow and boring out there but that's good since we'd have been dead long ago if we were always being attacked."_

"_Eventful: Marked by-"_

"_Never mind, Gary. Figure of speech."_

He frowned. Did he actually love Tex? No he couldn't, she dumped him and when he'd asked her why, she'd said, "I'm just afraid I might hurt you, now that O'Malley's swimming around in my head."

Sighing, he saw a glint coming out of a charred pile of rubble. Putting down the pieces of Tex's armor he'd found, he gasped at what he saw. Tex's torso was intact and in one hand was a necklace he'd once given her. It was of the biggest state in the United States of America and her home state. Texas.

Tears prickling his eyes, he pried open her hand and pulled the silver necklace from it.

'_Oh my fuckin' god, I really __do__ love her.'_ The realization hit him like a jolt of electricity, only worse.

Church carried her armor, which was surprisingly light despite the others' being around 800 pounds, back through the forest and back to the base, sneaking it into his room and stashing it under his bed. _'I'll find something to do with it later.'_

Shoving the armor under his bed had revealed a small wooden box, one he'd vowed never to open again. A while back, when Tex would dump him or cheat on him, he'd open that box and pull out pictures of them together and suddenly realize why he always went out with her.

With a sigh and a metallic clank the silver charm necklace disappeared into the box. Then, the Blue soldier realized that since he was the only one grieving over the loss of the freelancer, that he should be the only one to hold a funeral for her. Tucker and Caboose were planning a funeral for Sheila and Junior, so why not have a private one for Tex? A rare smile spread across his face. He realized it was the first smile he'd smiled since the ship had blown up.

He picked up a nearby phone and dialed in a number he'd dialed years ago. After a few rings, the cobalt clad soldier started to wonder if the service still existed. Thankfully, he heard, "Hello, you've reached the Mourners' Tombstone and Funeral Emporium. You've reached Darth. How may I help ease your pain?" (A/N: Tee hee. Mourners' Tombstone and Funeral Emporium. I made that up. Makes me laugh, though)

"Hey, I'm a soldier and my girlfriend just got killed in a huge explosion. I need something to remember her by. I was thinking a tombstone and maybe a small funeral would be good to honor her memory."

"Sure, okay. What do you want written on the stone? Any specific carvings you want drawn on it? What type of stone do you want?"

"I'd like it to say, "In loving memory of Freelancer Tex, who sacrificed everything to save us. I never told you this, but I love you. Church" and I was wondering if you could put a carving of Texas on it, and a Spartan helmet. Have you ever seen one of those?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, and I want that all in a nice, granite stone. Oh, and when will this be done?"

"Well, you can pay double and have it done and out there by today, if you want."

"Perfect. Ring it up. I'm faxing you the coordinates."

"Okay, expect it in around three hours."

As the two hung up, the rare smile on Church's face widened to an even rarer grin. Tex would be happy that he'd paid _that_ much for her funeral. If only she _could_ know.

Now, all he had to do is get Caboose and Tucker out of the base for a few hours. And far enough away so they couldn't see what he'd bought.

That was going to take a lot of hard work and a few miracles.

A few _thousand_ miracles.

_End Chapter_  
Sorry it's so short. If enough people like it, I'll continue with it.


	2. Fireworks and Moonlit Chats

Hey everybody, since people liked my story and wanted me to continue, I decided that I might as well start on the second chapter. So here it is. Oh and I watched the other two endings and I have to say, I meant episode 100 part 3, except they don't go into the Halo screen or whatever it is. I've only seen the Halo 3 Beta, so I wouldn't know what it's called. Also, Halo 3 is awesome! IT FUCKING RULES! Oh and so does the PS3. I'm not joking, we have one. There was one left at the store and my mom bought it for my older brother for Christmas. Okay, I'm done showing off now. By the way, since people were talking about Darth in their reviews, I decided to give him a full name: Darth Vladimir Ader. Darth V. Ader. Happy now? Would it be okay if I changed the title? I just thought of a good one. Give me your opinions. Won't change it without you guys liking the new name. On with the story. Enjoy.

_Aftershock_

_Fireworks and Moonlit Chats_

"Church! Chuuuuuuuurcchhhh!!!!! Guess what? Admiral Muffins is throwin' a party at the Red Fort!" a blonde-haired, blue armored Spartan came charging up to him, threatening to knock him down, coming closer with every stride.

"… You mean base, right?"

"Yeah, base. An' they invited us to come. Captain Pop N' Fresh says there's gonna be lotsa food an' drinks an' firejobs! He said we're celemabrating (A/N: Supposed to be spelled that way.) cuz he wants to give a breakfast to ev'ryone."

"… Fireworks, Caboose. Fireworks, not firejobs. And it's a toast, not a breakfast." _Goddamn, how can anyone be that stupid?_

"Oh. Okay, whatever. There's gonna be a party. I wish Sheila could come…"

"Oh, crap! I forgot! I found Sheila's AI chip, so maybe we can download her back into the tank. Sheila also said something about Junior surviving the explosion. Go take this to Tucker and tell him to put it in the AI downloading slot. It's in the back of the tank." Sheila's chip was handed to his fair-haired comrade.

"Uh… Okay… Um…" A clueless look came across the younger soldier's face.

"Next to the gas tank, Caboose." A sigh was heaved from the cobalt soldier. "The little rectangle thing next to the cookie-shaped thing."

"Oh. Okay." Off ran the simple-minded, grinning buffoon.

Minutes later, even from inside the base, Church could hear Caboose's happy cheers and Tucker calling out "Awesome! Sheila, did you see where Junior's escape shuttle landed?"

A smirk, similar to the one Tex always wore, played across his features as he snuck out towards the back wall behind Blue Base. He'd placed the grave out by the darkest corner of the canyon, no one ever went out there.

"How's it goin', Tex? Nothin' going on here, 'cept the Reds are throwing a party to celebrate O'Malley's deletion. I wish you could come. I hope there is actually a Heaven, that way, I know you're happy. And yes, I know that's pretty cheesy." He knelt on the grave, tracing the words with his finger.

"I've got my complaints, but who doesn't?" That was Tex's voice… or it could be if Tex had a cold… Jumping to his feet, he spun around and stared down the barrel of an HH45 M808V D77-TC (A/N: Yeah, I made that up. Used stuff that I read on Wikipedia and heard from 1-800-Magic. You know, since that guy who shot Beakman what's his name? I can't remember had an HH45 and Sheila was a M808V seriously, I thought it was M808B but whatever Battle Tank and she gets put into the D77-TC Pelican transport ship or whatever, wanted it to sound like Star Trek or something) mounted tank cannon. Sheila had been imitating Tex's voice to taunt him. Argh, why hadn't he heard Sheila coming up behind him?

"So this is where you've been sneaking out to, eh Church?" Sheila continued smoothly, he could almost hear the grin in her voice. If a tank could grin.

"Uh… no! You see, I saw the tombstone from my room and I was wondering what the hell it was and I came out to check." He could feel his cheeks reddening, if ghosts inhabiting robot bodies could blush.

"Riiiight…" laughed Sheila sarcastically, "Whatever you say, Church."

"Okay, fine. I made this grave for Tex to honor her memory. Got a problem with that? Deal with it."

"'In Loving Memory of Freelancer Tex, who sacrificed everything to save us all. I never told you this, but I love you. Church.' That's so sweet of you, Church. I'm sure she'd like it very much." His heart leapt up into his throat and he felt a lump. The kind you feel when you're about to cry. Would Tex actually like it, if she ever saw it?

"Yeah, well, it cost me a lot of money, so she better like it. Or else." Trying to act tough and cool was automatic for him, though he could tell Sheila knew what he was thinking.

"Ha ha ha. Well, shouldn't we get ready for the party at Red Base?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

In only a few moments, the Blues and Sheila were heading towards the Red Base at the other side of the canyon for the part. Although everyone was happy and excited, Church's heart was heavy. His secret was out. Could he trust a team-killing tank to not tell anyone?

Sighing, he walked a bit slower, hoping to be alone with his thoughts before drinking away his sorrow with a few Jack Daniels. He remembered Tex looking disgusted at her first taste of Jack Daniels, preferring Lonestar, the official beer of Texas, to it. Although Tex didn't drink much, only on special occasions.

Of course, that wasn't the case, seeing as he worked with a player idiot, a team-killing idiot, and a team-killing tank. After slowing down, he almost got run over by Sheila.

Tucker and Caboose had run ahead, racing to the Red Base, leaving him alone with the tank.

"I thought you didn't care about Tex, Church. Why would you want to 'honor her memory' anyway?"

"Because…………… Oh, I don't know, Sheila. No one seemed to care about her so I decided to care enough about her to give her a grave. And I don't hate Tex. I care about her, because I owe her. She didn't kill me along with my team back at Sidewinder, even though she could and probably wouldn't care if she did. More money for her and York. I remember her saying something about wanting to keep O'Malley so she could earn enough money to get York surgery for his busted eye. I don't want to meet the same fate as poor Private Jimmy."

"Oh yes, I remember Tex telling me about her friend York's ruined eye. She said O'Malley needed to escape the facility so badly he gunned down anyone who stood in his way. She said they threw a grenade at York and it exploded near his left side, which ruined his left eye."

"Yeah… But after the war, I was planning to meet back up with her and maybe even get… married. But you know, I got killed and so did she. How well can two ghosts inhabiting robot bodies live a normal, happy life together? I mean, I liked her. A lot. And she liked me well enough. Heh, I remember York saying 'Out of all the guys who chase her, she likes you the best because guys who treat her well make her sick. I think she'd eat a polite guy alive.' Then he started laughing, he didn't seem afraid that Tex would kill him for implying she was a cannibal. I don't think she would, seeing as he was her best friend and all. He was her freelancing buddy. I felt bad for her when she told me he'd been killed." He shrugged weakly, hoping York had meant what he said.

"Yes, Tex told me that whenever she needed help getting into whatever her enemies were hidden in, she'd go to York and York alone."

"They were quite the team. Tex pretty much did all of the work and York and Delta were strategists. It was kinda fun to watch them use their freelancer slang and code words. Almost… cute."

He smiled fondly at the memory of listening to the two telling each other the battle plan and then saying, "Synched? Synched!" And then doing whatever they were supposed to be doing.

"I wonder if Tex would've taught me to be a freelancer… I bet she and York could've done well with a third person…" Sheila abruptly started to laugh at this.

"You? Church, York and Tex are PROFESSIONALS. They dedicated their LIVES to it. Tex broke in to the military at an illegal age so she could get more training then any other Spartan. And you have really bad aim."

"What? What do you mean by that?" He decided to ignore the comment on his aiming skills.

"Tex broke in to the military and joined up as a Blue when she was 15. She stayed as a Blue for 3 years and when she became of legal age, she'd already split up and went freelance. I thought it was an interesting story." (A/N: Don't know where I heard this. If this was in a fanfic, sorry, I didn't mean to steal it.) And with that, Sheila hurried off to join the party while Church went on top of Red Base to think.

"Tex… Why did you do it? How could you do it? I… loved you… How can I go on without you, here by me? Even if I never could tell you how I felt, I always felt you knew how much I cared about you…" He failed to notice the silent shadow moving behind him at a lazy speed.

"Well, all I did was step onto the ship and told Sheila to lift off, s'all." A voice said behind him, coming from the shadows.

"Gah!" There, behind him, was…

**_Tex_**. Her armor, anyways. Unless… No it couldn't be…

Could it? Could she have survived somehow?

"Heh heh heh. How can I go on without you, here by me? Nice line, Church. Pretty cheesy, though. I'm flattered all the same." Hips swaying underneath her greaves, she moved closer to him.

"Eh… Are you… y'know… an optical illusion?"

"Are you implying you're crazy? Or aren't you happy to see me?" He could almost feel the smirk that would be engulfing her features right then.

"Hell, of course I am! This is great! Now we have a one-up on the Reds. We'll kick their asses now that you're back." He leapt forward, trying to throw his arms about the freelancer who frowned beneath her helmet and backed up, not allowing him to touch her.

"Don't touch me, Church. Makes me uncomfortable." His heart sank, upset. Why was she refusing his welcome?

**_Meanwhile, at the Party_**

"So… should one of us go talk to him?" Donut suggested tentatively. His feminine feelings made him want to go up to the roof and give the grieving Blue soldier one of his famous Donut Hugs.

"Nah, Powder Puff. No one go up on th' roof 'til he comes down. Then, do whatever th' hell ya want." (Guess who said that?) Donut sighed.

"It's lightish red." He muttered, letting the subject of comforting the Blue soldier drop.

Tucker was already drunk, as was Grif, Caboose was grinning stupidly, Simmons was drinking a Coke, insisting he didn't drink, Sarge was talking to Sheila about changing sides, Sheila saying that she was only a Blue and couldn't change if she wanted to.

And Donut? He was standing, looking at the roof longingly, wanting desperately to head up there and say, "C'mon! So you're girlfriend's dead! Smile and come on down for some beer and Spin-the-Bottle!" (A/N: God, I love making fun of Donut. Don't worry, Donut! I still love you! Not _in_ love, mind you…)

**_Okay, back up on the Roof_**

"But… why? Why aren't you staying?" Church didn't want Tex to leave. She'd just gotten back, and she was already leaving? Their helmets lay on the ground, next to each other.

"I have things to do, Church. I've been offered something that pleases me and will serve a good purpose to me."

"What's that? If it's money, I swear to God, I'll pay double it." Tex simply shook her head, letting her bangs fall over her eyes like a curtain.

"No, Church. Not money. Eternal life."

"Eternal _what_?" He echoed, dumbstruck by her words. Just those two words.

"You heard me. Eternal life. See, Church, York and I are only half here." Only now did Church notice the tan-armored-with-silver-trim soldier standing nearby. Tex continued, "But we can be _all_ here, just by getting a special object that, without it, York and I will remain dead. But if we do, we'll be all here _forever_. It's complicated and a long story. I'll explain later."

"But… can't you stay for a little longer? I mean, why do you have to leave so soon?" He approached her, taking her hands in his own.

"Somehow, Wyoming survived. Guess one of his copies, or maybe even the original, slipped away during the confusion. And I know Wyoming's after it. York and I have to get there first. And… oh, never mind. You wouldn't like it anyway..."

"What wouldn't I like? Come on, I can take it."

"It's…. O'Malley." _No. No it couldn't be._ _O'Malley was gone. Wasn't he? Oh please, Tex, say he's gone and it all was a joke to scare me._ "He's back, Church. But don't worry, he has calmed down now. And, he's promised not to harm you or anyone else in the god-forsaken canyon. Though, _I_ probably will put you all out of your misery while you sleep…"

_Note to self: Never go to sleep. _"Tex, please. Don't go. I've been miserable since you left. I can't eat, sleep, fight, argue, drink or even hate Caboose and Tucker."

"Wow, you must be _really_ depressed." York murmured. Tex shot him a _Look_, one that said, 'He's faking it, don't believe him and cave. Being firm here.'

Turning back to Church, her eyes narrowed and she said accusingly, "You said that about two weeks after we broke up the first time. Remember, I decided that with all my running around, killing and nearly getting killed, I was too busy for a relationship? 'Tex, please. Don't go. I've been miserable since you left. I can't eat, sleep, fight, argue, drink or even hate the Reds.' Quote, unquote. That ring a bell?" As he looked down at his feet, Tex spun on her heel and started walking away, York following closely, though a bit reluctantly. Hurriedly, they both grabbed their helmets and holding them under their arms, balancing them on their hips, they continued their retreat without missing a single beat.

He sighed and nodded. That day burned in his mind. Her words and cut through his heart like a hot knife through butter, stabbing him so he bled internally.

When he looked up, Tex and York were striding away from him, to where a Warthog was parked. Anyone could tell it wasn't the Reds' Warthog, Church figured York and Tex owned one. It didn't surprise him either. Tex and York made lots of money together.

"Tex…" He whispered into the cold, velvety black night. When no answer came to him, he sighed and listened to the Warthog starting up and driving away. With another big sigh, he turned and went downstairs and into the warm Base.

Much later, everyone went outside and watched tons of fireworks. No one really wondered where they had come from until Church found a note in the bottom of the box.

As he read it, a smile caressed his face.

_End Chapter_

Okay, so sorry that I haven't been on for a while, but I've been busy with school, hockey, video games, and other crap. Remember, I need ideas for the story, opinions on the proposed new names and opinions on this chapter. Please review!


	3. Notes, Arguments and Freelancers, Oh My!

Okay, I am soooooooooooooooo sorry I haven't been updating but I've had hockey, I'm behind in my homework and there's fundraising to do, and such. So, to whoever guessed that the fireworks were from Tex, good guess. That's what I was planning, anyway. I'll make this one as long as I can to make up for how long it's taken.

_**After Shock**_

_Notes, Arguments and Freelancers, Oh My!_

The note on the bottom of the box said, in Tex's fanciful cursive,

'_Hey, Church, I know you'll read this eventually. I'm pretty sure Danish or whatever his name is found this crate full of fireworks. You know I'm terrible with names. Because of O'Malley fucking with my head for three years. You understand, right? Whatever, the pink guy, or lightish red as he claims… These were fireworks York and I used to make together. I figured that you will find some way to hurt Caboose with them. Hit him a few times for me, okay? Well, York and I have found a lead where this talisman, or whatever it is, is, so I got to go. If it works on York and me, I'll bring it back and get you revived too. Also, I found Junior again. He's okay, a little shaken up, but fine. Oh, and he got me DUAL swords. Hah! Suck it Tucker! Oh and turns out, the Alien language it speaks, isn't too hard to learn. Now I know 94 different languages, including Morse Code! Problem is, O'Malley's after the thingamajig too, and York and I have been going non-stop on our little quests to find it, but they all turn up dry. But this one is promising, from a very reliable source. Anyway, York and I are going to stop and restock on provisions, so if you see O'Malley or Wyoming, distract them for as long as possible without getting you and the idiots killed. I… I…… Church, I owe you my life… Damn, the pen's running out of ink. Church, I'm just going to blurt it out before I run out of ink. -' _And the pen ran out of ink… The words following were pressed into the paper, indicating she'd tried several times to write the words before giving up. He gripped it tightly, then noticed something else in the crate, a photograph of him and Tex, happy for once. It was one of the only times they'd been happy together. Tears leaked out of his eyes, but he didn't bother to hide them. "Tex… I love you… Oh goddamn, why couldn't I tell you that before?" He noticed Sarge's keys to the Warthog lying in the grass next to the helmets. Against his better judgment, he grabbed them and ran to the Warthog, starting it up and racing out of the canyon.

TEXXCHURCH TEXXCHURCH TEXXCHURCH TEXXCHURCH TEXXCHURCH

"Okay, York, we have enough food to last us awhile? Or would it spoil? Well, doesn't really matter, does it?" She paced back and forth, worriedly gnawing on her bottom lip.

"Tex, calm down. This is just another mission, okay? And besides, we're staying here overnight, we can worry about that stuff tomorrow morning, okay?" He guided her over to the bed in the small, cramped hotel room and stood behind her, rubbing her shoulders firmly, yet gently, giving his partner a back rub. Tex was always pulling muscles back at the academy and he'd give her a massage to ease the pain.

"Mmm… Rub harder, York, you're putting me to sleep…" Sure enough, Tex was soon cuddled against him and breathing softly. They'd slept in the same bed together many times, usually when Wyoming would get really horny and end up sneaking into her bed at night. She'd punch his lights out, knee and/or kick him in the balls, then storm out and get York to let her sleep with him. He couldn't refuse Tex, especially when she was desperate. It was odd to see Tex flustered or desperate, she always had something to say, usually a clever/smart-aleck remark, insult or comeback. Also, she was tough as nails, and it took a lot to make her even whimper or shudder, although the British bounty hunter seemed to be able to make her execute several of the latter, often when he'd cornered her with his entourage around him to stop her from escaping. Tex was strong, but she couldn't do anything if she was pinned with a large amount of weight on her.

TEXXCHURCH TEXXCHURCH TEXXCHURCH TEXXCHURCH TEXXCHURCH

Church rolled into what had to be the thirtieth hotel that night, exhausted. Tex and York had to be there, or he wouldn't find them in time before they moved on. He moved to the front desk and asked for the thirtieth time that night, "Would you happen to know if a beauti- uh… I mean; a black-armored freelancer and a tan-armor-with-silver-trim infiltrations specialist are checked in here?"

The stuck-up looking manager, looked him up and down with disgust, but nodded. "Hmm, yes, they will be checking out soon, and then my hotel will be free of their horrifying presence. My guests have been getting nervous with such, such… horrible, murdering _beasts_." Horrible, murdering beast, huh? He was pretty sure Tex would _love_ getting called that.

He couldn't deny the fact that Tex was horrible, horribly brutal that is, murdering was definitely a given, and beast? Tex would like getting called that just because it was a tuff, not to mention, tough name. Tuff, according to Tex, meant cool, sharp, although she did agree that it was a light rock formed by the consolidation of volcanic ash, although she added porous in her explanation. Tough, also according to her, meant the same as rough and able to take hits and throw punches and such. At the academy and in Texas, both were compliments. He missed her dearly, wanting to wake up at the crack of dawn and walk into the kitchen to find Tex making breakfast for two even though she was the only one who ate it. Bacon, eggs, toast, sausages, omelettes, waffles or pancakes, orange or apple juice, freshly ground coffee, and somehow, the newspaper. How did Tex manage to get a newspaper when they were about 800 years in the future? Oh well, she let him read it when she was done, anyways, so why should he worry about it?

"Church!?!? What are you doing here?!?", came the cry behind him. He spun around and there, striding towards him, were Tex and York, Delta on the latter's shoulder, chattering on about how nice a day it was going to be, and who knows what else.

"Oh, hello, Private Leonard." Greeted the harmless, analytical AI cheerfully. "How are you this fine day?"

"Church." Said York with a nod.

He returned it quickly, before replying smoothly, "Here to help find this magic thing. Why do you think I'm here?" The last part of his answer came out sounding like, "Whyd'yathinkumheer?"

"I think that phrase started out as English, but morphed into gibberish." Muttered Tex seriously, then crying out, "Here to help? No way! This is my team, and your place is back in that goddamned canyon with your idiotic teammates! Besides, York, Dee and I can handle anybody! Can't we, guys?"

"Now, hold on, Tex. If he wants to help, why shouldn't he? He could be helpful, and we could help with his aim."

"That's true, Allison…" agreed Delta gently.

"Uh, guys? Still standing here… so can you NOT talk badly about my aiming skills as if I'm not here!?" Tex ignored him, glaring at her teammates.

"I can't believe you're BOTH taking HIS side, and not mine! Not even a single ally!" She threw her hands in the air, "I thought we were best friends, York, Dee!"

"We are!" They cried in unison. Tex and Church couldn't restrain the chuckles that crawled out of their throats.

"It's just…" continued York, trying to make amends in vain. She just wasn't hearing it.

"It's just we think that an extra set of eyes and a good, level-headed soldier like Leonard would give us more chance of finding the objective of our mission."

Tex sighed, murmuring under her breath, "We _seriously_ need a name for that thing." She continued louder, "All right, Church, we'll give you a shot." The freelancer thought for a moment before adding for good measure, "Rookie."

Church sighed. This was going to be a _long _trip.

_End Chapter_

Okay, as I said before, really sorry I haven't updated in a while. I hate seventh grade. Hope you liked the chapter. Tell me what you think of the new title, please. If you don't like it, I'll change it back.


	4. Monopoly and the All Right Days

I realized I didn't put Junior in the last chapter. Sorry, to whoever is a fan to Junior, the Covenant, and/or Crunchbite. He'll be in this one, I promise. Anyways, enjoy the chapter.

_After Shock_

_Chapter 4: Monopoly and the All Right Days _

York, Tex, Church, Junior and Delta were all sitting in the Warthog that apparently, had been designed to _look_ sort of like a Warthog, but had ended up larger, for carrying about 5 or 6 soldiers, not counting the gunner's position at the turret.

York called it, "A Typhoon Striker" or the technical name it'd been given, "The Dragon" which Tex had explained was because of a secret weapon that could only be activated by a special password that needed _two_ AI's to activate it. It was confusing, really, but Tex and York had witnessed it before. "Not pretty," was what Tex called it.

"So… how do we know when we find this thing?" Church asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

"We don't." was all Tex would say.

"Then how do we know if we've found it?" He knew he was treading on thin ice, knew he was testing Tex's patience.

"We don't."

"But what if we-"

"WE DON'T!" barked the freelancer and the infiltrations specialist in unison, even Junior joined in with a impatient, annoyed, "BLARG!"

Delta looked at him, smiling. He knew. He understood why Church was acting like a cobalt Caboose.

BACK IN THE CANYON

"Church left us a note. MAYBE HE FOUND A TREASURE MAP! WE WILL BE… uh…" Caboose held a note in his gloved hands.

"Rich, Caboose?" supplied Tucker with a sigh.

"Uh… Yeah! Just checkin' to see if you were listenin' to me, that's all."

"Riiiiight…"

"Hey guys? Wanna play Monopoly?" Sister poked her head around the corner.

"Okay!" cheered Caboose with a grin. "I want to be the guy with the pointy head."

"Whatever you want." Doc said, smiling as well.

"Yay! Mr. Pointy Head! " yelled Caboose.

"I'm the badass banker! Oh, and I'm allowed to rob the bank if I want." Tucker snorted, deciding that if he was playing with idiots, he could make up rules that only applied to him.

"I don't think that's part of the game…" suggested the pacifist weakly, he didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

"The banker, if he's black and totally irresistible, gets to make up the rules." Tucker replied simply.

"Now, now… Wait, Caboose. You said Church left us a note? Am I the only one who wants to know what it says?"

"Yes. Yes, you are." replied Tucker and Sister as one, already setting up the game, engrossed in their task.

Caboose just grinned stupidly.

"It says Church is gonna go look fer Tex. He says she's alive. Is Church crazy?"

"Probably."

BACK WITH OUR FAVORITE COUPLE

"Blarga honk. Honk honk blarg. Blarg blarg honk blarg." Junior said with an Alien grin spread across his features, what little, unnoticeable ones he had.

"Blarg. Blarg honk." answered Tex easily.

"Blarg honk honk blarga honka blarg honk. BLARG CHICKA HONK HONK!"

"I never thought I'd say this, but I miss Caboose, Doc and the Reds. Not so much Tucker, though." muttered Church, his knuckles cracking as he fantasized of killing the monstrosity Tucker affectionately called "his child." "I don't even know what he's saying, and I know it's annoying."

"Indeed." agreed Delta, nodding emphatically.

"Definitely."

"Mm." was all Tex said, too focused on one eye searching the landscape for something, whilst the other was on the road ahead. But for an unknown reason, Tex was tense, as was York, and even Delta.

York looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "He here, Tex?"

"Yeah, he's here. And close. I don't like it… I hate to say it, but I kinda miss you, Wyoming, and I working together, back at the academy. Damn, those were the…" she considered what she was saying for a moment, the continued, "all right days… We were strong."

"Yeah, you and me being best friends, and Wyoming being blinded by love for you." Unconsciously, Church gritted and ground his teeth. No one noticed but Delta.

"Blarg blarg."

"You're right, Junior. We need a place to rest, get gas, supplies… Can you scan for us to see if there's anywhere like that nearby, Dee? Thanks. York, you ever been here before? Looks kinda familiar to me, but I have no idea where we are. Ever since Church spilled that Red Bull all over our navigational system. Ugh, Red Bull. Red Bull's gross. Why do we have Red Bull in here anyways?" (A/N: Well, where did you think O'Malley got his disdain for Red Bull?)

"I SAID I WAS SORRY!" York broke in before a fight could break out between the blue-armored Spartan and the black-armored Spartan.

"Yeah, it's familiar to me too, but I can't place it… How about you, Dee?"

"I know the place, yes."

"You do?!?" cried out three voices at once, with a "HONK?!?" in the background.

"Yes, and it makes sense that both Allison and York know this place, but haven't ever been here before."

"How?" asked Church, speaking for all of them.

"The AI's were designed to be hooked into the sub, and self- consciousness, which gave them complete access to their hosts thoughts, memories, emotions; anything, really. While there, they transferred their memories into the minds of their FIRST hosts. For example; Allison and York, here. Project Omega and I were designed here, as were the rest of the AI's, so when Allison and York and the rest of the Super Soldier Program's participants' became Hosts, the AI's transferred everything they remembered in their short lives to their new bodies, which they would share with the humans inhabiting them." It was a bit strange, hearing O'Malley's real name. But Tex and York weren't surprised, so he shouldn't be either.

"Oh right! What we think, they think; what we know, they know. Makes sense, really." York nodded his agreement to Tex's statement. Suddenly, Tex gasped.

"What? What is it?" Church asked worriedly, his hand flying to rest on her knee.

Instead of answering his question, Tex asked the AI another one. "Dee, do you know if the AI's data was stored in a computer?"

"I believe so."

"Good. That means that it will have the strengths, weaknesses and such, right?"

"Yes, I suppose that would be true, if they were stored here, and have not been deleted since then. Why?"

Tex's eyes were flashing with excitement and delight. "Don't you know what this means? It means in THAT building is the key to destroying O'Malley, once and for all!" Everyone grabbed onto her excitement, and felt it rush through their hearts and bodies. Junior started dancing around. Church felt like it too, and by the looks on their faces, so did Tex and York.

As they shot up the gravelly, weed-choked path together, Church dared to glance at Tex's elated face, smiling for the first time since having O'Malley implanted into her mind. Tex realized that it was the first, too. It felt good to smile again.

As they reached the door, she felt her heart waver. What if there were no records? Her hopes, shot down again. Would her heart be able to take it this time? Or would she die of sadness, or kill herself? Oh wait, she was already dead. She could still stay in the Spirit World forever, never leaving. Maybe spend time with her father and mother… what a nice thought. Would they be proud of her, or… ashamed, for her to have unleashed such a horrible thing on an unsuspecting world. Trying the door, the door beeped and said in a monotone voice not unlike Microsoft Sam, "Please enter entry code. Please enter entry code."

"What?!? It needs a code?!? Ugh, York, please deal with this…"

After trying to crack the code several times over, (and failing) York sighed, ran a hand through his dirty-blonde hair, and turned to Tex. "No use, Tex. It's old-fashioned, but it does its job well. We could force the door, but that could set off an alarm system, which could be bad, depending on whoever might be in there."

"Wait… Dee, what's the code?" Everyone turned to look at the hologram of man on the infiltrations expert's shoulder

"Ah, you've figured it out. It's P-a-N-c-A-k-E-s-A-r--E-a-W-e-S-o-M-e"

"P-a-N-c-A-k-E-s-A-r-E-a-W-e-S-o-M-e? Pancakes are awesome? The fuck is that about?" asked Church with a scowl.

"For once, I agree." confirmed Tex, then adding under her breath, "Although, pancakes _are_ awesome."

"Great, now we need a _secondary_ code." barked York, throwing his hands in the air with a scowl.

"Try 'I PWN ALL TEH NOOBZ' Whoa, where did that come from?" Tex grunted then looked stunned at the latter part of her answer.

"Project Omega's influence, I suppose." offered Delta.

"But O'Malley's gone, how could he still have an influence on Tex?" Church felt his heart stop. If he had a heart to stop.

"Allison had Omega for years. He was one of the reasons she could survive so long. She _depended_ on him for her own survival. As he stayed in her head for so long, he began to attach himself into her, and when he jumped, a good amount of him was left there. Really, it just is a big computerized black spot on her mind. Also, if you and Allison combined in your spiritual forms, you would see it as, well… pretty much a deep, dark abyss, with Omega controlling everything. Not pretty. Don't fall in, you'll never make it out. It's also the reason Allison has trouble with names. Everyone that was a Host began having mental disabilities, their AI's devoured things in their mind to make room for a cold-blooded killer to live. Omega was the worst though, he didn't devour to make room, he devoured _everything_ so Allison wouldn't be able to resist him and he'd take control with ease. Emotions, memories, everything." Church and Tex looked at each other and shuddered. Although the Blue wouldn't admit it, he felt terrible for Tex, she'd had to suffer to be a better freelancer. _'Another reason Tex and I broke up'_ he realized with a jolt.

"Hey… where's Junior?" asked Tex, looking around for the Alien baby, although it wasn't much of a baby anymore.

"Yeah, where is the little guy?"

Cupping her hands around her mouth, Tex called out, "BLARGA-BLARG? WHERE ARE YOU, LITTLE GUY?"

"'Blarga-blarg?" asked Church, not caring whether or not they found Tucker's love-child.

"His Alien name. Means the Arbiter. Or the Savior, can't remember." explained Tex impatiently.

"Hm, well, maybe he's just playing a trick on us. We'll go inside and when we come back out, he'll jump onto us and take us by surprise." Church respected the gross Alien because of that, he wanted to _take someone by surprise_ as well. (A/N: Cough cough, hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink, wiggle wiggle. Heh heh heh heh heh heh, wait… What? What was that last part again?)

"Maybe you're right…" muttered Tex, but she looked worried.

"C'mon, we're in. Let's go."

And with that, the trio (and one AI) entered the dark ruins, unaware of the few pairs of eyes watching them.

_End Chapter_

Uh-oh! Cliffie alert! But man, that was an evil spot to leave of on! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh and, Mr. Pointy Head was from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. He's talking about chess and bishops, by the way. Man, do I have fun!


End file.
